1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a removing device for liquid in a flexible packing and to a flexible packing used for accommodating a liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a removing device is known e.g. as a drinking straw for removing beverages from a beverage bag.
The simplest form of a known drinking straw consists only of a tubular straw element produced from a plastic material that is unobjectionable from the point of view of the law relating to food production and distribution, said straw element being preferably produced by extrusion. The inlet of the known drinking straw is normally cut at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the drinking straw so as to form an insertion tip penetrating through the beverage bag. The beverage bag into which the drinking straw can be inserted is provided with an insertion area. This insertion area is of such a nature that it permits easy penetration of the drinking straw. For this purpose, the flexible packing is normally provided with a circular opening in the insertion area, the diameter of said opening corresponding approximately to the outer diameter of the drinking straw. Prior to the first insertion of a drinking straw into the opening, said opening is closed by an interior foil covering said opening.
The foil is normally implemented as an interior foil and, consequently, secured to the inner side of the envelope, e.g. by a welded joint or an adhesive joint. The interior foil is e.g. a polyethylene foil. Alternatively, said interior foil may also consist of a composite foil. The flexible packing may consist of an arbitrary envelope material.
For example, flexible packings are known whose envelope consists of a single-layer or a multilayer foil. Alternatively, the envelope of the flexible packing may also comprise a paper or cardboard material which has beeen prepared--e.g. by providing a waterproof foil or coating on the inner side thereof--in such a way that the envelope is prevented from softening, thus guaranteeing that the liquid will be kept safely in said flexible packing.
When the drinking straw is being inserted into the beverage bag, it will penetrate through the interior foil so that the content of the bag will communicate with said drinking straw and so that the drinkable liquid can be sucked from the beverage bag through said drinking straw. The known drinking straw is, however, not fully sealed with regard to the beverage bag so that dirt or small insects may penetrate into said beverage bag. Moreover, the danger exists that microorganisms or oxygen may be introduced via the drinking straw into the product accommodated in the flexible packing. This will contaminate the product, e.g. reduce the keeping quality of the beverages. In addition, the drinkable liquid may escape through the drinking straw. Such an undesired escape of drinking liquid will especially occur if the internal pressure of the drinkable liquid in the beverage bag is increased unintentionally via the flexible envelope of the beverage bag.